OPINION: Christmas cheer?

It's that time of year when people complain about it being “too early” for Christmas displays on the High Street.

In fact, there are fewer than 60 days to go until the big day, and as I write this, the word ‘Christmas’ is trending on Twitter. Yep – the silly season is well underway.

But how will the computer and tech market fare? We asked more than 50 tech retailers and over half of them told us they’re confident sales will rise this year (see the full story here).

Our special feature on page 22 explores how tablets will sell this Christmas compared to last year’s high, in light of Tesco and Argos’ new own-brand tablets. We’ve also assembled the latest novelty gadgets, kids and exec toys in our Christmas gift guide on page 66.

BRC data showed that customers bought presents later than usual last year in order to grab a bargain, so perhaps the real challenge for tech retail is to keep sales strong throughout December – not just for a handful of days. We’re certainly not lacking for innovation (see page 16 and 20 for our John Lewis and Samsung store articles).

AND THE WINNER IS...Get your diary out – the PCR Awards are back on March 13th, 2014. We’ve also added a new award: full details are listed here.

We hope you’ll join us in recognising the trade’s top retailers, vendors and distributors. I’m sure the evening will come around faster you can imagine, so why not get your nominations in now?